More of the House

**Look below the "Too Tired" post to find the first grouping of house photos**

Now I'll try to finish up real fast. I'm almost out of nap time I'm sure! ha

Okay, to resume, we are now headed up to the 2nd floor. Look! I have PICTURES on my WALL! This is part I of the stair gallery, not done yet of course (hence the pile of pictures/frames in the office).

Well, I'm going to shorten this even more and cut the comments out too. LOL other than what is necessary. I'm REALLY running out of time! haha

CODY'S ROOM:

KADE'S ROOM:

He even has his own bathroom.

THE FAMILY BATHROOM:

This is one of the 3rd floor rooms. Either Mike's little man room/office or the guest room. The other one isn't quite this small, but not a lot larger and there is also a toilet/shower up here.

A look at our little 'hood out the front door. I think our house would be drop dead GORGEOUS on the outside with some GRASS instead of this rock yard thing they've got going on, oh well. Less to mow. As anal-retentive as I'm getting about the back lawn, it is likely a good thing. The back will look like a golf course when all is said and done!

So, that concludes your tour for today. Wanna see more? Get a plane ticket! hahaha

Obviously that is directed at family and close friends, so any total strangers...um, disregard that invitation! hahaha

Anyway, I know lotsa folks had asked for photos of it, so there you have it! We really love it, but DANG is it EVER a lot of work!!!

Alright, I'm getting a shower before these kids wake up and want me to feed them.

Enjoy!

Too tired to blog

I've promised a few folks that I would add photos of the house. I Went through and took pictures of most of the rooms to show everyone back home. I've tried for 2 days to get it on here and well, just can't seem to find the time. I wasted a lot trying to just put them in a slideshow to save scrolling for everyone, but of course, after I spent all that time, it didn't work in the end.
So, I am going to add them soon, but not tonight.
I am just too tired.
Way way too tired.

Soon. Soon.

Lots of photos and some shots of the boys as well!
They've been a real handful in good and bad ways this week, but with that I've just not really gotten much of a chance to be on the computer at all to do anything that I need to. Which is so much!
Tomorrow.
TOMORROW we're leaving our boys with a SITTER and going up to the pub for a couple of drinks and some gourmet food (as I hear it). I am ALL FOR IT. It is a short short walk around the corner, so we are ready. Also, to anyone who may well know it, this would be the very first time I can really recall that I've ever left our kids with a "sitter" and not close friend or family member. How bout that? I guess moving away from home does make you grow up just a little yeah? Just a tiny bit though, we won't get carried away.

Oh man. Yapping again.

I know there are also a couple of folks expecting an email. I've just about got it all together. I AM working on it! Kids willing, you will have it tomorrow!

Night all, have a good one, sleep well, snuggle in and hey! Enjoy the evening!
I'm cold, my heat is not enough, so I'm going to go snuggle my snoring human heater so I can get warm hopefully! Let's hope he doesn't run me off b/c of my cold feet!

XOXO!
A

P.S. I added a nifty music player over on the side, click on it and enjoy some killer tunes! Killer? Yes b/c I have the very BEST eclectic taste you'll ever see!

Tour de Payne

Well, since it costs billions of dollars for anyone to fly over here at the moment, even a year into the calendar. I have photos of the house to share. You must keep in mind that there is a lot more house than either of us has ever had, so not nearly enough furnishings. We did not hit the lotto before coming, so decorating and furnishing will just take time and I am NOT color blind. I am well aware that wine colored curtains don't really go with a mocha sofa and lime green chair, it's what we've got so we're rolling with it. The windows that ARE here, are ALL different sizes so this whole window covering bit will take a little while. Maybe not AS long as I'd expected though now that my wonderful mother in law shared a killer idea with me! I'm very excited about that!!!! I'll share later when I make it happen.

So... this is how the house is, starting out. Starting out with bare basics. I just KNOW that Kristy is going to be SO proud of the complete and total LACK of clutter. (It's also why there will be no photos of my office or bedroom). Shockingly though, there's not really even clutter in there, they just weren't ready yet. Our bed, gee big shocker here, can I say "I TOLD YOU SO?!" would not fit up the stairs, so we have mattress and box spring on the floor, our nightstands are too big to fit in the nook for the bed and we never thought in a million years that there would also be no cabinets for towels and other linens etc... so, it is very make shift in there. My office well, trying to go through the mounds of photos I have to put in the mounds of empty frames I've had sitting around for years is a little messy to say the least. Not so messy, until the boys run in here and somehow every single time manage to walk through the photos I've regrouped and neatly piled in separated stacks the last 18 times they did that. Yeah. So, less those two rooms, oh and the room that is serving as temporary storage until we can furnish the OTHER rooms with places to PUT things. So, here is the tour minus 3 rooms. haha.

I've over-explained I'm sure but well... I just did. Deal with it. ha

Shut up Aimee! ON WITH IT WOMAN! (as Mike would lovingly bellow).

Welcome...

Why looky here, I've got me a foyer, entryway, cloakroom - whatever you wish to call it.

To the right of the door, you will find the ground floor loo. hehe. Its tiny, meant for but one purpose and that is all you have room or will to do in there.

Now turning back to your left, you find the living room - or lounge as it is called here. Our nifty TV on our temporary TV stand. :) It works AND hides toys. Nifty huh?

A fireplace! Yay! Once Mary Poppins' pal the Chimney Sweep paid us a visit, I had to take it for a spin! Yep, it works! :)

LOTS of wonderful natural light in here!

A full 360 view for you.

Now, back into that entry room, you see the broom closet under the stairs, no Harry Potter under there, sorry. My office to the right and straight ahead...THE KITCHEN!

The coolest room in the house! I actually LIKE cooking in here! I do NOT like cleaning that damn stovetop or the stove at all though. Ugh. That is also not our dining set (or cabinet that you can't really see) it is a loaner courtesty of the AF until I can make up my damn mind what I want to get!

A few things have yet to find a "place" yet, so no, that is not normal storage up top.

This has to be the very best dishwasher in the world. I never knew it was possible for them to REALLY clean things, but it does. Oh man...does it EVER! Love it!!!!

Then, here's my freezer. Being an American and coming to this, albeit it might even be more of a culture shock being a TEXAN and trying to figure out how anyone does this, is simply beyond me. How do you not spend a small FORTUNE in constant runs to the grocery store??? Luckily, we got a spare for the garage, so we are making it now. hehe

And last but certainly not least. This, my friends, is our washing machine. Anyone in America that has less than 30 kids in their house that says they do NOTHING but laundry all day and night....I'm calling a big fat BS! *I* do laundry all day and night, I think I can do it in my sleep now. I've actually CRIED b/c I think I'm done, and then I find more. Or someone gets sick, or has an accident. CRIED! TEARS!!!! Where's the dryer you might ask? Oh...it is also a dryer. Crazy huh? Cool you think yeah? NO!!!! Its AWFUL! Now listen here, upon first moving in, it was taking a minimum of TWO HOURS to WASH one load that basically holds about 6 regular sized bath towels that I shoved in there with my feet putting ALL my weight into it. No I did not shove it out the back wall thank you. So now I've spent 2 hours washing, I still need to dry. Wanna know how long THAT was taking? At the very least, 3 hours. THREE hours! So, now to wash and sort of dry your clothes that still come out smelling musty and so wrinked a steam roller couldn't knock a single wrinkle out of them, I've spent FIVE freaking HOURS on one teeeeeny tiny load of laundry. Yeah. I said FIVE HOURS. FIVE. Once again... military to the rescue! I've got a spare dryer in my garage as well. hahaha. Thank goodness for that garage, its keeping me somewhat Americanized! ha! Now I've got a LOVELY dryer that REALLY makes my towels ultra soft and fluffy that dries and does not wrinkle in half an hour. ALSO, my lovely friend and neighbor actually read the book on the washer and that 60 is not the time, but the water temp in Celsius. Meaning I'd been washing ALL of our clothes in really hot water which is a huge huge no-no for me. All said and done, we're running on a fairly decent TIME for laundry, size is the main issue for now, we'll live though.

Now, all that said and done, I've gotten sidetracked so many times and tonight was NOT an insomnia night and its into the wee hours again and well, I was woken up way early this morning by this sweet soft voice whispering at my door, "Good Morning Mommy...I've got to pee pee."

So, the boy who's had a little trouble lately made it to the potty with no incident, comes to bed with me b/c it is so very early and gets all cuddled up with me and toasty warm. The very instant we are all comfy and close our eyes again, I hear this other sweet voice from the other room....

"MOMMY!!!! MOMMY MOMMY MOMMY!!!!!! MY BINKY MOMMY! MOMMY!!!!! MY BINKY MOMMY MY BINKY! MY BINKY!!!!!"

Cody is up.

On went our busy day from there. :)

Oh well, while snoozing in and cuddling and being toasty in your very comfortable toasty bed is wonderful, I'll take it over not having it anyday. Binky screams or not, potty trips, or not, anyday. Any day. :)

Yesterday I thought I would end the day in a straight jacket and literally felt my hair turning more gray up there, and today...today I was suddenly blessed (perhaps rewarded for NOT running away yesterday) with sweet wonderful helpful loving angel boys.

Go figure.

I will never learn...

I'm the world's biggest jinx on myself. When was it that I was overcome with idiocy and typed out the words, actually put them in written form so I could not take them back - that I could sleep? That I was no longer suffering from my bouts of insomnia?
It is 3am and here I sit. Unable to sleep for the second night in a row.
*sigh*
Here we go again. This really blows. I was really enjoying getting good sleep. In bed anywhere between 9 and 11pm and up and at em at the butt crack of dawn and feeling just fine. Now I'll be all groggy and grumpy and frumpy. Yay, so much to look forward to. Not to mention my poor kids have to be with me all day long.
Hmmm...no wonder Cody likes to run out the gate so much. That may explain a lot. Ha, okay if he had not recently become the world's largest loudest leech lately, I might be hurt by him running off all the time, but no worries. If you can't find him I'm sure he's just literally under my foot, and I do mean literally, hanging onto my leg and standing on my foot as I try to do things, sitting on me, yelling at me to "come ERE! Mommy!", "Follow ME Mommy!", "MOMMY! Uh-stairs MOMMY!".
Hmmm. He sure is a bossy little turd.
Kade has been scoring some big points lately. We even began a reward system of sorts, but...not to ward off inappropriate behavior, but to reward the really good behavior he'd found all on his own. :)
Helping his baby brother, I've really enjoyed watching this and am getting pretty sneaky at listening and watching their "brother moments" with out me knowing. Surely if they knew that I was aware of what was going on, Kade would bite COdy and COdy would clock Kade upside the head with Thomas the Tank. So I must be on the down low that I know that they are actually nice and helpful.
Not really, he gets a LOT of praise for being nice and helping and sharing etc... it has been happening so much all of a sudden that I've even noticed Cody bypassing me and going to Kade to fix his train for him. Wasn't that a proud moment for me? Yes it was! Especially when Kade did not take the train from Cody and run away with it. Progress folks. It is called progress and what the hell am I DOING?!?!?!?!?!?! Surely jinxing myself yet again.
I should just say the boys are adjusting well and shut up.
I Think I will. I sure won't have the energy for anything else all day tomorrow. UGh.
I will try to go to sleep once again.
Once.
Again.
THis is just so annoying. Really. WHY???? WHy is it SO difficult for any one person to just lay their head down and SIMPLY fall fast asleep? I am often so envious of MIke's ability to do that. Granted, I'm glad that I can actually watch an entire movie without falling asleep most of the time and I can lay in bed and read, surf the net, watch tv etc... and not fall asleep just b/c I'm in bed. Where as, he can't really do that. So yeah I'm glad I don't do that, but when you lay in bed for 2 freakin hours next to someone that no sooner got their head on the pillow that they began snoring, well it's just not FAIR!!!!!
Well, I've gotten a lot of wishful shopping for the house done. Ha. Fat lot of good that is going to do me.
I could utilize this time to finish up some work I began. I shot a few sessions just before we left knowing I was not going to be able to actually proof them until we got here. I've finally gotten started on that, but if I start messing with that stuff very late at night anymore I will be up all night long. I REALLY don't want to do that. I might have to though, sometimes I have to reboot the system so to speak and pull an all nighter so that I can readjust. That used to work like magic, but the last few times I did it, oh like the entire MONTH before we left, it was not really working, and only allowing me to go insane amounts of time with no sleep. Insane, when I say insane, insane enough that I didn't really know it was possible to go so long on so little. I was impressed with myself though for being so functional. HOwever, I guess that is how I ended up in England with one pillow sham that was supposed to go to my sister in law, one shoe that was supposed to be shipped to Matty in Dallas, a clearwire tower that I meant to leave at my sister's so I could beg her to take it in for me (hehe, hi steph!) oh and I even have all of my brother in law's Matrix movies which I very specifically remember putting aside 10 different times so I would NOT forget to leave them at his house.
Right. Had it ALL together about then. For sure.
Oh I just can't bear to be "there" again though. What must one do to go to sleep? I guess if I am feeling a little too awake tomorrow, I'll just hand Mike a frying pan and tell him not to whack me too hard so I'll be sure to wake up when the boys do at least. I'm almost that desperate.
Okay. I said I was going to go try again didn't I?
I should do that. Not to mention...the longer I type, the more idiotic my, whatever you call this, will get.
I will save the world from me right now...and close and take myself to bed...

So how bad was it?

I couldn't tear my eyes away from weather.com for watching Ike! It seems as though most fared alright. It sounded as though Gov. Perry did a great job of getting those warnings out, getting people evacuated and just making sure things were covered. As we had a hard lesson learned from Katrina. Granted, I'm not THERE so I could be dead wrong, and it is just awful.
I'm hoping and praying that everyone is okay and that people were able to get out of there that wanted/needed to and all you crazies that stayed put are safe and sound and dry and will have power and water again very soon.
Bet you are HOT though! Hey its a nice balmy 60 degrees here today and I'm freezing my ass off actually, come on over and have a visit! ha!
Today I have come to the conclusion that I need some super duper ultra heavy duty arctic mukluk house shoes. Seriously. My feet are constantly cold and I'm about to be running around wearing leg warmers and 7 pair of socks and its not even winter yet. Worse yet, as much as I hate it, I've even got carpet everywhere but the kitchen and 60 bathrooms. The rest of me is just fine, just my feet. Stupid ice cube toes.
Nothing major going on here. Just wanted to holler at my peeps down South and hope that everyone made it through the little thunderstorm yesterday.
Much love!
XOXO

A moment of reflection, let's go back to a sad sad day...

It probably took me a few hours to realize today's date. That happens when you are confined you know. I hardly know what day of the week it is.
The instant I realized today's date, I felt sick. I instantly had that movie-like moment, you know where they pause.... and there is that blurry zip back to some moment in time and that day played through in fast forward. Such a nauseating memory.
The mass confusion, hysteria, fear, crying, numbness. You could hear it on the radio, see it on the tv, see it on the faces of people you passed in public. Numb. Shocked.
It was likely the most impactful day in society in my life. I do remember other big things, the crash of the Challenger, tsunami's and hurricanes and bridge collapses and major earthquakes. However, none of those were intentional.
I can remember exactly where I was. Exactly what I was doing and if it weren't just another mundane workday, I'd probably even remember what I was wearing. I never really believed the people who'd say, the exact thing they were doing when Kennedy was shot. Seriously? You were having fried eggs and ham with a coffee at jim's diner on 4th street? really?
Yes, really. Sadly, I can relate now and most definitely believe them.
I was driving to work, I was on loop 322 just about to exit on Oldham Lane to my office when the announcement was made on the radio. I was horrified knowing how many people would have been in that building. It had to be an accident. I thought maybe there was some massive issue with the plane and even imagined the pilots doing everything they could to keep from hitting this building, themselves, horrified at the lives ON the plane but also in the city that were about to be lost. How little my naive mind knew.
I went into my office and the people that were already there, were buzzing. Some standing with that numb look, some crying, some in a panic b/c they knew someone that was there. I went on back to my desk where my best bud and office mate was also sporting that look. Numb. Shocked, we're discussing it, still wondering what on earth was going on? Then my phone rang and it was my ex telling me a plane hit one of the twin towers. Yeah, duh kinda heard that already. "No, it was ANOTHER one."
I'm not believing, not absorbing. No, you're wrong dummy, it was just one, why on earth would TWO hit it? I remember pulling up CNN on my computer. Holy hell. It was another plane. Now the thought rolls through my still sluggish mind that there is some serious malfunction in air traffic control and planes are going to start crashing into everything everywhere. THen one crashes into a field in Pennsylvania, and another into the PEntagon.
People are crying all over the office. Work is at a standstill, they've pulled the TV out of the conference room into reception and people are all standing around with wet eyes, staring in disbelief. The news anchor is hardly able to keep it together either.
The sheer horror of what was going on. How many more were there? Where all were they targeting? What on earth were all of these passengers going through? How can we get these people out of the towers before they are all consumed by the fire?
It brings that sting to my eyes still now to go back through the things I so vividly remember this many but few years later.
We stayed at work, we had to finish that day. Everytime a plane flew over, T would nearly hit the ground she was so shaken. Seeing how severely it affected so many I knew was surreal. One friend, in a whirlwind trying to find her dear friend who worked at the pentagon. Trying some way to get a hold of someone and find if she was at work or not.
After work. I drove home alone. I sat there alone and watched the news, something I never did, and cried. Still not realizing the severity of it all, there was no way any of us could have.
It changed us all so severely to begin with, and forever there after. To this day, I think we all do some things differently, whatever they may be. However small it might be to you, things we may not even realize we do differently since then.
One thing I do recall, is the feeling of pride at how people came together. At the people that dropped everything without a second thought and rushed out to do something, anything. The people that drove all the way to New York to only be turned away when they wanted to help.
Regardless of how you feel about the wars and the politics and whatever in the world else that people tack onto the events surrounding this date, just don't forget.
Don't forget the people that were heroes. The brave people who died, who nearly did, or didn't care if they did if only they could keep someone else from it. Don't forget the people that were lost and don't forget the people that lost someone. Remember all of them. That, more than anything, is what people seem to lose focus on and make it about themselves and what ever they are fist pounding about that week.

All of that said, I do always ask on this day what was going on with you? When anyone and I speak about it. It is a good reminder to anyone of how it affected you in that raw moment.
So here, I ask the questions I've asked of some of my friends today. Feel free to comment with your answers if you want, and if not...that's okay too. Just think of it to yourself and hold that moment in honor of everyone that this so gravely affected.

Where were you?
How did you first hear?
What were you doing?
What was your first thought?
What was your day like after you found out?
How do you think it changed you if at all?

My heart goes out to all of those who lost someone that day. Where I come from...you are not forgotten.

I can sleep here

Most of you are still asleep. Granted, even by now if I were back home stuck in that awful rut still, I'd STILL be awake (FYI it is currently 2:30am in Texas).

Yuck.

I feel like CRAP when I don't get sleep. I'm not very friendly and caring either. So I've realized 1. in hindsight and 2. the couple of times I was unable to get much sleep since we have been here.

So, no wonder I always seemed so dull and lifeless and bitchy. I was EXHAUSTED! For quite awhile too mind you! Stay at home with babies, two of them that are darn nearly twins, but just far enough apart to make you never stop running, try to run business, keep house, cook, and either do or don't or only sometimes have the hubby there. Well, there wasn'tmuch time for actually getting my WORK done, so pretty much anything else was spotty at best and then I would stay up in a daze working till 3 or 4 am every night and then up with the boys by 7 or 8 at the latest. Do that for a couple of years and tell me what shape you are in!

Me? Total mess apparently and too damn tired to even realize it.

What have I learned since getting a little sleep? Especially since recently having a few nights where I had to stay up to the wee hours to get a couple of things done?

While I'm definitely still a scatter brain, not nearly as much of one. I could actually finish tasks that I began rather than having 100 half completed tasks and never getting anywhere. Large tasks these are not, but... hey it's progress you know. I must say, I was starting to be proud of myself. WOW! I AM capable of simple things like the general population after all! Sleep IS important!

Anyway. I will spare you all my idiocy and rambling. It's about time for another Mommy afternoon out, I can tell.

I came back on this morning to add more photos!

I never knew BK had these things anymore. I remember how much I LOVED playing with them when I was little! Apparently you have to ASK for them.

Cody wasn't quite so into the crown though...

Apparently the best way to get a clear shot of my kids is to strap them into a seat where they can't move or escape. Call me a shameless mom, but I really have some breathtaking kids!

Could anyone resist that? I came in to find Co with some plumbers crack and hit a dead run to get my camera before he moved.

Luckily he was too intent on his playing to even notice and stayed there for a long while. Seriously, mother of him or not, how GORGEOUS is this kid?????

That's my boy! :)

Just an attempt at some building shots. I will, hopefully, have the lens I covet so much very soon. That will certainly make many of these MUCH more interesting! :) Anyway, a small street in Bury St. Edmunds. Walking down this street, I was wishing my good friend Jayne could come visit, I know we would have a blast doing some exploring with cameras galore!

Mike having his very first bona fide British Fish and Chips. He said it was pretty good and Kade shared with him as well.

You just can't know how freakin HAPPY it makes me that my big boy will smile for me now!

We got a little too sleepy playing outside one day.

Isn't it great, that still at this age, me blowing bubble gum bubbles for him still gets this reaction? I'll blow them all day long for it!

His attempt at blowing a bubble. He tried and tried and tried until he blew his slimey gum out in my face! ha!

Everyone keeps asking for photos of the house. I guess I need to go take some more of the inside but have to do it with the little camera. This is our house from the back (so now Jay can see it really IS a 3 story! haha). Not a lot of windows in the homes here. The more windows you have, the more radiators you have, the more radiators you have the more really pricey oil you use etc...

Cody running back from chasing the peacocks. I really love our backyard. I adore this view so much too, but the fence will be going up soon and I will lose it. I would almost opt not to put it up right there, but I just know I'd end up regretting it later and it would be too late to do anything about it then. For now, I can enjoy it though.

And for the finale for this post... one of my new all time favorite Cody pics! I hate to inform him, but his butt crack picture is about to go up on the wall, in large.